A lesson in literacy.

Physics

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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Book/Film/Article review

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A lesson in literacy. / McClintock, Peter V. E.
In: New Scientist, 03.01.1985, p. 34-35.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Book/Film/Article review

Harvard

McClintock, PVE 1985, 'A lesson in literacy.', New Scientist, pp. 34-35.

Bibtex

@article{fa0728244da145998e0f68b3ca3556e4,

title = "A lesson in literacy.",

abstract = "A cup of tea in the hand could, at least in principle, start spontaneously boiling on one side while simultaneously freezing solid on the other. No violation of the conservation of energy need be implied, because the heat energy gained by one side of the beverage could be precisely equal to that lost by the other. But the drinker would be rather startled, because (quite apart from an unexpectedly burnt or frozen mouth) everyone knows that events of this kind do not happen. In reality, time's arrow always points in the opposite direction, towards thermal equilibrium such that all the tea is at the same temperature.",

author = "McClintock, {Peter V. E.}",

note = "Review of {"}The Second Law by P.W. Atkins, W.H. Freeman, pp 230.",

year = "1985",

month = jan,

day = "3",

language = "English",

pages = "34--35",

journal = "New Scientist",

publisher = "Springer New York",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A lesson in literacy.

AU - McClintock, Peter V. E.

N1 - Review of "The Second Law by P.W. Atkins, W.H. Freeman, pp 230.

PY - 1985/1/3

Y1 - 1985/1/3

N2 - A cup of tea in the hand could, at least in principle, start spontaneously boiling on one side while simultaneously freezing solid on the other. No violation of the conservation of energy need be implied, because the heat energy gained by one side of the beverage could be precisely equal to that lost by the other. But the drinker would be rather startled, because (quite apart from an unexpectedly burnt or frozen mouth) everyone knows that events of this kind do not happen. In reality, time's arrow always points in the opposite direction, towards thermal equilibrium such that all the tea is at the same temperature.

AB - A cup of tea in the hand could, at least in principle, start spontaneously boiling on one side while simultaneously freezing solid on the other. No violation of the conservation of energy need be implied, because the heat energy gained by one side of the beverage could be precisely equal to that lost by the other. But the drinker would be rather startled, because (quite apart from an unexpectedly burnt or frozen mouth) everyone knows that events of this kind do not happen. In reality, time's arrow always points in the opposite direction, towards thermal equilibrium such that all the tea is at the same temperature.

M3 - Book/Film/Article review

SP - 34

EP - 35

JO - New Scientist

JF - New Scientist

ER -

Research